https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1793-8540
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ABSTRACT
Many studies have been conducted on the numerous negative post-deployment outcomes for military personnel. However, data on service members’ pre-deployment stress reactivity are absent. This is a serious gap in existing research, as stress has an important regulatory role. This study aimed to determine possible manifestations of military personnel’s stress reactivity during pre-deployment in a war zone in eastern Ukraine. The study involved 270 Ukrainian service members (all male, aged 18 to 58 years). Sample 1 (n = 108) were preparing to be deployed for the first time, sample 2 (n = 84) were preparing to be deployed and had previous experience of deployment, and sample 3 (n = 108) were not preparing to deploy and had no previous deployment experience. We used the Ukrainian adaptation of the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GBB-24), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), the Short Screening Scale for DSM–IV posttraumatic stress disorder and the Combat Exposure Scale (CES). We found that indicators for physical complaints, psychological problems and psychopathological and posttraumatic symptoms among service members from samples 1 and 2 were significantly higher than those of sample 3 in 15 of 18 cases (p < 0.001–0.05). The indicators obtained for sample 2 were higher than those of sample 1 in six of nine cases (p < 0.001–0.05). Both our study hypotheses were confirmed. The present findings can be used to develop efficient psychological interventions for military personnel during pre-deployment in a war zone.
Acknowledgments
We thank Nazim Agayev, the Director of the Research Centre of Humanitarian Problem of Armed Forces of Ukraine, for supporting this investigation.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).